The subject matter herein relates generally to connector systems, and more specifically to connector systems that provide connector position assurance.
In some connector systems, a coupling mechanism is used when a first connector is mated to a second connector to secure the first and second connectors together. The first and second connectors are secured together to ensure that the connector system can withstand forces that would tend to pull the connectors apart and break the conductive pathway that is formed between the connectors when mated to each other. In some embodiments, the coupling mechanism is defined by a latch on one connector that engages a catch of a mating connector to fully mate the two connectors.
It is important to ensure that the mated connectors in a respective connector system are fully mated to one another to avoid operating errors due to breaks in the conductive pathway. The connector system may be used in a complex manufactured product, such as an automobile for example. If the connectors in the connector system are not fully mated to each other during assembly of the automobile, the error eventually caused by the break in the conductive pathway may be difficult to discover and/or difficult and costly to fix. For example, it may be difficult to access the faulty connectors in the automobile.
Due to physical characteristics such as small size and shielded conductors, it may be difficult for a worker (or even a machine) to accurately identify whether two mating connectors are fully mated together at an assembly facility. For example, two connectors that are not fully mated to each other may only be a fraction of an inch off from the fully mated positions of the connectors, which may be difficult for the worker and/or the machine to identify. A need remains for a connector system that provides assurance that two connectors are fully mated to each other in order to avoid errors caused by breaks in the conductive pathway defined by the connectors.